Recommendations

"Penn campus 2" by Bryan Y.W. Shin at the English language Wikipedia. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

These Students Were Admitted to All 8 Ivies – What Can We Learn From Them?

College, Recommendations April 10, 2015 at 7:30 am

Earlier this week, CBS New York reported that a Long Island senior, Harold Ekeh, had been accepted to all eight Ivy League schools. And over the past few days, reports have trickled in about four more students who also achieved the Ivy League sweep this year. This is a truly amazingRead More

Image courtesy of canstockphoto.com.

Discover15 A Great Reading Tool for Any Family

Health & Science, Recommendations March 24, 2015 at 8:30 am

In honor of National Reading Awareness Month, HISD and a coalition of Houston-based organizations (led by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation) have embarked upon the #Discover15 campaign to encourage parents to read aloud with their children. The initiative is designed to help parents find time in their busy schedulesRead More

Why Cramming Doesn’t Work

Why Cramming Doesn’t Work

Recommendations, Study Skills March 23, 2015 at 8:30 am

Thursday night, 9pm. A high school student finishes up dinner and sits down at the computer to check social media before going to bed. They notice a few status updates by friends complaining about the test that they have to take tomorrow. “Hmm, Alex and I have almost every classRead More

There’s Still Time to Apply for These Scholarships: Part Two

There’s Still Time to Apply for These Scholarships: Part Two

College, Recommendations February 11, 2015 at 6:00 am

If your child is a senior in high school, you’ve probably devoted a considerable amount of time to thinking about their college tuition. Perhaps you’ve been saving up since they were born; perhaps you’ve already co-signed for some student loans. But however you and your child are planning to coverRead More

Why the Humanities Matter in K-12 Education

Why the Humanities Matter in K-12 Education

Opinion, Recommendations February 6, 2015 at 11:49 am

America is finally trying to take the necessary steps to address our growing educational deficit — recent studies showing that American students are falling behind their peers in other countries have made education a priority once again (or at least made K-12 education a politically valuable topic). Most of thisRead More

Presbyterian School Students Benefit from Relationship with Houston’s Museums

Presbyterian School Students Benefit from Relationship with Houston’s Museums

Private Schools, Profile, Recommendations, Travel & Culture January 21, 2015 at 10:42 am

Nestled in the heart of Houston’s Museum District, Presbyterian School is a testament to the value of the arts working in tandem with education. As you enter the parking lot, there’s a bit of commotion as cars, buses, and pedestrians share the road in a hurry to drop off andRead More

Strategies to Make Art Come Alive for Kids

Strategies to Make Art Come Alive for Kids

Recommendations, Travel & Culture January 9, 2015 at 8:30 am

Some time ago, we posted a piece about the importance of arts education and a recent study measuring its effects. In response to that same study, The Huffington Post‘s Sarah Virginia White wrote an article advising parents on how to optimize museum tours for their children. In addition to aRead More

2015 FAFSA Application Reminders

2015 FAFSA Application Reminders

It’s a brand new year, which means some important financial deadlines are approaching in the Spring. For current and prospective college students, the 2015 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available to complete online. The FAFSA is used annually to determine student eligibility for financial aid toRead More

Op-Ed: Why the Traditional Low-Tech Classroom Isn’t Enough Anymore

Op-Ed: Why the Traditional Low-Tech Classroom Isn’t Enough Anymore

Opinion, Recommendations, Technology December 22, 2014 at 8:30 am

When you see buzz about education technology – like our recent feature on President Obama’s ConnectED Initiative – do you find yourself wondering why it matters? Do students really need laptops or tablets? And are agenda apps and digital textbooks really necessary? If you feel this way, you’re certainly not aloneRead More

Episcopal High School’s Jay Berckley Espouses the Value of the Arts in the Well Rounded Student

Episcopal High School’s Jay Berckley Espouses the Value of the Arts in the Well Rounded Student

Private Schools, Recommendations, Schools December 19, 2014 at 4:30 pm

How has Episcopal High School managed to earn accolades and recognition locally & nationally? The school’s Dean of Arts, Jay Berckley, would likely use two words to describe EHS’ Arts program’s goals: vision and intention. The view from Mr. Berckley’s office is quaint. The sun is shining brightly and theRead More

Texas Universities and Colleges Rank Nationally, Globally

Texas Universities and Colleges Rank Nationally, Globally

College, Collegiate, Education News, Recommendations December 16, 2014 at 6:03 pm

2014 was a banner year for Texas colleges and universities as several institutions throughout the state earned high rankings in nationally recognized polls listing the best higher education options throughout the country and world. As expected, both Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin are among the mostRead More

Checklist for Preparing for Midterm Exams

Checklist for Preparing for Midterm Exams

Recommendations, Resources for Parents, Study Skills December 9, 2014 at 10:19 am

Winter break is almost here! Even if the weather doesn’t support this notion (currently 65° at General Academic’s office), students everywhere are excited about the coming break. They’d be even more excited if midterm exams didn’t come first. Having helped students prepare for midterms for nearly eleven years, we atRead More

K-12 Comp Sci Offerings on the Decline Nationwide

K-12 Comp Sci Offerings on the Decline Nationwide

This week, students in classrooms throughout America – including many right here in Houston – will be answering the challenge to complete an “Hour of Code” as part of Computer Science Education Week, an annual event championing computer science in K-12. Given the ascendance of computer science as an industry,Read More

Tips for Making Test Prep Fun!

Tips for Making Test Prep Fun!

Bubbling answers for hours at a time probably wouldn’t rank very highly for most students if you asked them about their favorite pastime. Most of us have come to understand testing as a necessary evil that must be endured in order to prove a student’s knowledge. If you’re finding yourselfRead More

Dickens on the Strand is Family Fun with an Educational Tie-In

Dickens on the Strand is Family Fun with an Educational Tie-In

Community Events, Recommendations, Travel & Culture December 2, 2014 at 8:30 am

Looking for something fun do to with your family this weekend? The annual “Dickens on the Strand” holiday festival will take place December 5-7, 2014, in Galveston. Given the time of year, one might suppose that Dickens on the Strand centered on a production of the author’s holiday classic, “ARead More

Gift Ideas for Young Readers of All Ages

Gift Ideas for Young Readers of All Ages

It’s important to encourage children to read – reading fiction helps to build vocabulary and inculcate the skills that will help students understand and make the most of class readings throughout high school and college. If you’re stumped on what to get for any children or teens on your holidayRead More